Brooke Lelia

Brooke Lelia (she/her) is a third-year journalism student at Emerson College from Livingston, New Jersey. She transferred to Emerson from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she previously studied musical theater, creating a deep passion for storytelling through writing and performing. She began writing for the Independent Film Magazine at the start of her sophomore year, contributing film and television reviews and explorations, and editing pieces before they were published. Beyond the mag, Brooke contributes to The Berkeley Beacon as a staff writer for the Living Arts and Opinion columns; she also hosts a weekly radio show called “Lady the Bug” for WECB, the Underground Sound of Emerson College.

  • |

    A comprehensive guide to the music of “Yellowjackets.”

    By

    Part of what makes “Yellowjackets” so unforgettable is the way its soundtrack is used as a narrative anchor. The series follows a group of women, both as teenage soccer players enduring a devastating plane crash in the late ‘90s that leaves them stranded in the Canadian wilderness for 19 months, and, 25 years later, as middle-aged women, who are still coping with the effects of what happened when they were younger. Instead of relying on mainstream nostalgia, “Yellowjackets” leans into the grit and vulnerability of ‘90s alt-rock and the reflective nature of indie. To understand “Yellowjackets” in all its depth, one must pay attention to the show’s rich musical world.

  • |

    The Gospel of Carrie White

    By

    When the lights dimmed and the screen began to flicker, I felt like I was standing in front of an altar. There was something holy about that crisp October night in Cambridge, when The Brattle theater transformed from a movie house into a cathedral of cinema. The smell of buttered popcorn floated through the air as strangers shuffled to creaky seats, their plastic cups fizzing with delicious cherry cola. It wasn’t just a screening. It was a gathering of believers. A horde of cinephiles grouped, itching for their fix.